Sen. Leticia Van de Putte is comforted by Sen. Royce West after she arrives in the Senate Tuesday night. Returning from her father's funeral, Van de Putte tried to stop the bill.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte is comforted by Sen. Royce West after she arrives in the Senate Tuesday night. Returning from her father's funeral, Van de Putte tried to stop the bill.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Van de Putte asks for clarification on the floor of the Senate.

Van de Putte asks for clarification on the floor of the Senate.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Bill opponents sit in the Senate.

Bill opponents sit in the Senate.

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Zoey Pulte wears an orange dot on her forehead as she and her mother, Amanda who is opposed to an abortion bill, listen to Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, as she filibusters in an effort to kill the abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

Zoey Pulte wears an orange dot on her forehead as she and her mother, Amanda who is opposed to an abortion bill, listen to Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, as she filibusters in an effort to kill the abortion ... more

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 ... more

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 ... more

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Sen. Wendy Davis

Sen. Wendy Davis

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Abortion bill opponents

Abortion bill opponents

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Davis filibusters in an effort to cause abortion legislation to die.

Davis filibusters in an effort to cause abortion legislation to die.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Spectators watch from the balcony.

Spectators watch from the balcony.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Spectators watch from the balcony.

Spectators watch from the balcony.

Photo: TOM REEL

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Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Spectators watch from the balcony as Fort Worth Senator Wendy Davis filibusters in an effort to cause abortion legislation to die without a vote on the floor of the Senate Tuesday, June 25, 2013.

Spectators watch from the balcony as Fort Worth Senator Wendy Davis filibusters in an effort to cause abortion legislation to die without a vote on the floor of the Senate Tuesday, June 25, 2013.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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A group of supporters stand for a photo.

A group of supporters stand for a photo.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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Spectators hold up their own shoes.

Spectators hold up their own shoes.

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Hundreds line up to enter the Senate chamber.

Hundreds line up to enter the Senate chamber.

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Davis stretches during her hours-long filibuster.

Davis stretches during her hours-long filibuster.

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, helps Davis with a back brace.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, helps Davis with a back brace.

Photo: Eric Gay / Associated Press

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Davis tries to relieve pressure on her feet.

Davis tries to relieve pressure on her feet.

Photo: TOM REEL

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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talks with senators at the podium.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst talks with senators at the podium.

Photo: TOM REEL / San Antonio Express-News

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David Thomas rests with his signs on the floor of an auditorium being used as overflow for spectators.

David Thomas rests with his signs on the floor of an auditorium being used as overflow for spectators.

Photo: TOM REEL

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Kathy Bylenok watches with her daughter Tasha Bylenok in an overflow room for spectators.

Kathy Bylenok watches with her daughter Tasha Bylenok in an overflow room for spectators.

Photo: TOM REEL

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Talk brews of GOP effort to stop filibuster, Davis warned (UPDATE)

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UPDATE FOUR: Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, said he spoke with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst on Monday night about the possibility of ending the filibuster by calling for the previous question. He said a decision hasn’t been made about whether to go that route. He said there is “probably unanimous” support among Republicans for the idea, but “the lieutenant governor thinks, and a lot of us think, that it’s important to have the debate.”

Estes noted that a point of order raised by Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, against Davis already has been sustained on the grounds that she veered from the topic by talking about the budget. Dewhurst warned Davis about the matter. Under Senate rules, if two more points of order are sustained, the Senate could vote on whether to end debate.

“If there continues to be those, there would be no need to call the question,” Estes said.

UPDATE THREE: Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said he has turned in a request, with the required support of five other senators, to call the previous question in an effort to end Sen. Wendy Davis’s filibuster and allow a vote on the abortion measure.

Patrick said he respects the tradition of the filibuster, but the abortion bill is more important.

“We’re going to stand on our rulebook … and let a baby die a horrific death in the womb?” he asked.

“That reminds me of when Jesus came and talked about the Pharisees and the laws. They were more interested in the laws than they were the people,” Patrick said. “I don’t want to leave here being the modern-day Pharisees.”

He said he turned in the “green sheet” with the request “before we started.” Such a request would go to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

“I am not standing alone here. There are a large number of members in our party who feel strongly about it,” Patrick said.

UPDATE TWO: Here’s the comment from Josh Havens, spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry, in response to Sen. Wendy Davis’ criticism of him: “It’s hard to comprehend how anyone could stand on the side of the horrific late term abortion industry or advocate for substandard care for women. This same legislature saw the importance of outlawing inhumane euthanasia by gas chamber for animals and passed legislation improving standards of care for premature babies, many of which are born during the same timeframe current law allows them to be killed. It is time for that to change. It’s long-past time our state extend the same level of humanity to these preborn babies who most certainly feel pain.”

And, he said, “Any speculation on another special session is still premature.”

UPDATE: Sen. Wendy Davis’s filibuster may kill the abortion legislation, taking with it measures on transportation funding and punishment for 17-year-old capital offenders. But Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, said he doesn’t expect Republicans to try to cut Davis off as long as she follows filibuster rules.

“As long as the rules are obeyed, I think the tradition of the Senate is to allow debate. Sometimes while that’s either strenuous on one party, or tedious in the view of other members, it’s one of the traditions of the Texas Senate not to limite debate,” Seliger said.

A varying number of senators are in the chamber at any one time. Many of them are sitting at their desks, with some using their smart phones, or on their desk phones, or working on a laptop or ipad. Others are watching Davis, who is reading testimony from those who were denied the chance to present it at a House committee hearing last week.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst opened the session with a caution about the need to maintain decorum, and the abortion-rights supporters in the gallery — clad in orange T-shirts saying “Stand With Texas Women” — are
being mostly quiet. They started to react favorably when Sen. Wendy Davis read testimony on the abortion measure that ended, “We won’t back down.” But they shushed themselves.

At one point, an abortion opponent stood in the gallery and shouted, “Abortion is genocide.” He was escorted out as Dewhurst said, “Many strong passions, but we want to be able to hear the senator.” I caught up with the protester later, and he said, “It was the only voice I thought I had at the time.”

ORIGINAL POST:
Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, began laying out the bill to impose a 20-week ban on abortion and other restrictions on clinics and doctors who perform the procedure.

She said she did, and began talking at 11:18 a.m., noting that the legislation is coming up in a special session after being blocked by Democrats in the regular session.

The Democrats were empowered in the regular session because then — unlike in the special session called by Gov. Rick Perry – a two-thirds vote was required in the Senate to bring up legislation.

Sen. Kirk Watson speaks with Sen. Wendy Davis before filibuster

“This bill, of course, is one that impacts many, many people, and it’s one that took extraordinary measures for us to be here and to converse on it today,” said Davis, who wore coral running shoes to better enable her to stand until midnight.

She must talk that long to kill the measure Tuesday, the last day of the special session. Perry, a staunch abortion opponent, can call another 30-day session if he chooses.

People who oppose the legislation are in the Senate gallery, and they applauded as she entered the chamber. The protesters have been evident since the House considered the bill Sunday, when opponents flooded into the Capitol.

“I‘m rising in the floor today to humbly give voice to thousands of Texans who have been ignored. These are Texans who relied on the minority members of this Senate in order for their voices to be heard,” Davis said. “These voices have been silenced by a governor who made blind partisanship and personal political ambition the official business of our great state.

“He’s being abetted by legislative leaders who either share this blind partisanship or simply do not have the strength to oppose it,” she said.